But They're Good Excuses!

Even the Obama apologists at the AP are straining to keep Hope and Change alive:

AdWatch: Ad Says Obama Makes Excuses on Economy

...

KEY IMAGES: A female narrator says, "America's jobless rate is still too high" as the screen shows a long line of workers, presumably unemployed and applying for jobs.

"Barack Obama's got lots of excuses for the bad economy," the narrator says as a photo shows Obama pointing a finger. A string of brief Obama sound bites follows, including "Headwinds coming from Europe", "We've had a string of bad luck", "An earthquake in Japan", "An Arab spring", "Some things that we could not control" and "We've been a little bit lazy, I think, over the last couple of decades." Large text of Obama's words amplify the message.

The narrator concludes, "But Barack Obama never blames Washington's wild spending and skyrocketing debt. Tell Obama: for real job growth, cut the debt."

So, is Obama full of excuses or is he a Man With Plan? It's complicated!

Because the ad relies on a jumble of sound bites strung together, there's scant context for what Obama was trying to say in each case. Europe's economic struggles and upheaval in the Middle East, for example, do at times impact the U.S. economy.

The ad also oversimplifies the role of federal debt in the broader economy. And it doesn't tell the full story about presidents and the limited power they have over the economy, particularly on federal spending and the deficit.

Because Congress controls federal spending, presidents must work with lawmakers on cutting the federal deficit. That puts much of what can be done about deficits beyond the sole control of any president. A great deal depends on which party controls the House and Senate.

It's difficult, too, to blame the economy's weakness on the sheer magnitude of the debt. The economy is weak largely because it is still staggering from the Great Recession, which officially ran from December 2007 to June 2009.

Many economists put it the other way around, saying the debt is high because of the weak economy. Businesses and families are saving more these days, and the government's spending of borrowed money is one way the economy has been propped up.

The growing debt problem existed before Obama came into office, and the economy itself bears much of the blame. The debt grew under tax cuts enacted by former President George W. Bush and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan paid for by borrowing. The emergency financial bailout begun by Bush a few months before he left office added to the red ink, as did Obama's 2009 stimulus package.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yike.

 

 

Comments

[dublindave]

btw...was it not a thing of true beauty watching the intellectually dishonest,Dan senor,get owned by Robert gibbs on 'morning joe' yesterday.

I encourage you to watch the moment when Senor,realizing he just got bitch slapped by a calm and to be honest slightly sadistic Robert gibbs,becomes emotionally unhinged and unstable.

So much so the producers and Brezinski actually had to suggest that he calm down and take a ten minute break.

Ha ha ha,sweet!

[Threadkiller]

Again?!?

"Before there was Solyndra, there was Serious Energy. The company was personally hyped by President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and Senator Roland Burris (remember him?) as a “green jobs” company funded by Obama’s 2009 stimulus. Today, Serious Energy is closing factories and laying off workers–and the Federal Trade Commission has found it made false claims about the energy efficiency of its products.

The story of Serious Energy is a metaphor for Obama’s political career, featuring strong-arm union tactics, corrupt Chicago politicians, crony capitalism, and media propaganda. Back in May 2010, it was already clear that Serious Energy was a fiasco, one Breitbart News called the “Weatherization Undergound.” Two years and hundreds of millions of dollars later, the company is near the end of its natural trajectory as an Obama prop."

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/07/10/Failure-of-Serious-Energy-is-a-BFD

[matt]

Romney is the plutocrat who vacations at Lake Winnepesaukee, speaks fluent French, and has some inherently conservative values such as God and Country. He took the SLC Olympic job to clean up a PR debacle, which he really didn't have to do.

I had an inside view of some of Bain's shenanigans, but that is the way the rule book is written.

I would much rather Romney with a much stronger, conservative Congress, which is perfectly do-able right now. California is lost, as is much of the Blue Hell, but there are real opportunities to swing Congress to some pretty dedicated people. Let's hope the down ticket can exert some force on policy come January.

It's better than what we have by a country mile and Romney might just surprise us. Besides, he can blame Obama for the whole mess.

[Jane - talk is cheap!]

OKay so let's guess the VP. I think it will be Portman.

[narciso]

Shirley they can't be,. . .Serious Energy.

[Porchlight]

Threw his own grandmother under the bus. Tsk tsk.

Sounds familiar.

My Grandfather's Son by Clarence Thomas. Compare and contrast.

[centralcal]

Jane: It sure is sounding like Portman is the one. I am quite neutral about him - know next to nothing.

[Ignatz]

--OKay so let's guess the VP. I think it will be Portman.--

She's pretty cute but I'm almost certain she's a commie and don't even get TK started on her dual citizenship.

[narciso]

Your guess, was more or less, on target, she 'jumped the shark' when she V for Vendetta, a pre OWS propaganda piece

Portman is a supporter of the Democratic Party, and in the 2004 presidential race she campaigned for the Democratic nominee, Senator John Kerry. In the 2008 presidential election, Portman supported Senator Hillary Clinton of New York in the Democratic primaries. She later campaigned for the eventual Democratic nominee, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, during the general election.[95] However, in a 2008 interview, she also said: "I even like John McCain. I disagree with his war stance – which is a really big deal – but I think he's a very moral person."[96]

[Jane - talk is cheap!]

I love Portman CC - well I probably don't know enough about him to love, I'm okay with that pick.

Romney is the plutocrat who vacations at Lake Winnepesaukee,

That's so funny. I spent about 8 summers on an island on Lake winnepesaukee, at a camp where I worked in the kitchen for 3 months free tuition. I really don't associate Winnepesaukee with elitsm. I'm pretty sure no one else there does either.

I really do think Romney will surprise us, altho I doubt it will be fast enough for any of us.

[hit and run]

Hot Chick Portman on a Bike for VP?

[Ignatz]

--Your guess, was more or less, on target, she 'jumped the shark' when she V for Vendetta, a pre OWS propaganda piece --

I had the misfortune of watching a good portion of that flick a few months ago. Even disregarding the lefty propaganda, what a truly bad movie.

[dublindave]

I really do think Romney will surprise us, altho I doubt it will be fast enough for any of us.

My source says decision already made-it's Pawlenty.

I guess he makes Romney look exciting by comparison.Which is kind of odd because Pawlenty is one of the most charismatic,enigmatic human beings on the face of the i'm just fucking with you it's like watching paint dry.

[dublindave]

She's pretty cute but I'm almost certain she's a commie and don't even get TK started on her dual citizenship

Natalie portman is,like Halle Berry,walking proof that you can be stunningly beautiful but have zero sex appeal.

Whatever happened to women like Angie dickinson and Claudia cardinale?Now we're stuck with these eating disorder bitches who look like concentration camp survivors.

[Ignatz]

Hey weeDavey says something not idiotic, although still rather misogynistic.

Bet you can't even do that twice in a row, Davey.

[dublindave]

Hey weeDavey says something not idiotic, although still rather misogynistic.
Bet you can't even do that twice in a row, Davey.

Bet I can.

Question;if Mitt Romney used this dummy corporation in the Caymans to evade taxes in the United states and further shielded himself from prosecution by placing his wifes Ann's name on said corporation......isn't it possible that if federal laws were broken,Ann Romney could go to prison for ten to 20 years?If so,and don't quote m on this because I am not a lawyer nor have I practiced any branch of law but,is it beyond all human comprehension that Ann could find herself embroiled in a sexual relationship with one if not several of the female guards.....as a means of survival?

Now that thought's alot hotter than Natalie portmans bland,generic,californian sexuality.

[Melinda Romanoff]

I guess the going rate's a buck a post now from AKDP.

[Jim,MtnView,Ca,USA]

"...the going rate's a buck a post now..."
Heck, I might sign up for that. And there's no way I would consider voting for their guys. So I would post stupid stuff that would persuade no one...hey. Didn't we have a theory back a while that DuDa was a false flag operation? That's starting to come into focus.
http://akpdmedia.com/

[Ignatz]

The misogyny was never going to be the hill you had to climb Davey, just the idiocy.
Sucker's bet on your end of the deal, dope.

[Jim,MtnView,Ca,USA]

Wish me luck! A little extra income always comes in handy.

http://akpdmedia.com/contact-us/jobs/
I've heard you pay up to $1 per post of prog drivel to Conservative web sites. If true, I'd like to get some of that action!

Reason for considering your firm: currently I'm underpaid....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_Cent_Party

[Danube of Thought]

Portman is an extremely intersting guy about whom people know little. If he's the pick, trust me: you're going to be impressed.

[Carol Herman]

I saw an article the other day. Basically, it said "all the ads DO NOT influence most voters" ... At best there are TOPS 50,000 total votes across the USA ... that need ad influences" to help them decide for whom to vote on election day.

Otherwise? People form hard opinions early. And, that's how they'll vote.

Ads, perhaps, make things seem more fluid than they really are.

[Beasts of England]

@JiB - '...dueling but out of tune banjos...'

Priceless.

[gk1]

Sad, even for hacks like AP they are reduced to making up excuse after excuse for obama's implosion. And for what? Even they don't even believe this bullshit anymore. I can't imagine AP ever shilling for anyone with an (R) behind their name.

[Beasts of England]

'She's pretty cute...'

Posted by: Ignatz | July 10, 2012 at 08:56 PM

Glad you got your photo privileges back, Ignatz!

[dublindave]

The misogyny was never going to be the hill you had to climb Davey, just the idiocy

Yet I recognize the stupidity of placing your money in dummy corporations and secret swiss bank accounts prior to launching a Presidential bid.

Here's the bottom line;to lift the shadow of corruption that has surrounded him and his campaign,Swiss Mitt must now release his tax records for the last 25 years.And that's just the beginning.I a one on one interview with someone like Rachel Maddow or Keith Olberman(someone not FOX FRIENDLY)Romney must come clean with the American people and tell them in detail why he believed it was better to prevent his precious taxes from funding our schools,our police departments,our Firefighters,our teachers,our men fighting in wars overseas.Taxes that allowed him to build mansions with car elevators for his Italian sports collection.

[RichatUF]

dudu-

Why not ask for the last 35? No telling what he did to hide his money during the heady Carter years.

[dublindave]

''dudu-Why not ask for the last 35? No telling what he did to hide his money during the heady Carter years.''

That's quite perceptive because the DNC plan is to keep Romney's financhial dealings front and centre. So, if he gives us ten,we'll ask him for twenty.If he gives us twenty, we'll ask for thirty.

This does illustrate how politically inept Team Romney are because once again,they've allowed their guy to be defined by not responding to the muck us dems are throwing at him.

It's over.We won the WH.We've created in Mitt Romney a disusting rich guy who wants to dismantle social security,medicare,medicaid,planned parenthood,the only decent health care policy in the last fifty years and give billionaires historically low tax breaks.

Oh,and he hate latinos too.

It's over.Go home.

[Carol Herman]

I don't know about you, but this presidential race is so BORING! I haven't even seen one bumper sticker! And, nary a yard sign.

Did you know back in the 1940's. When I first became aware of electioneering practices. And, I used to remember a large open back truck coming down Coney Island Avenue ... with a band, inside, playing very loud music. When an election cycle came in, you SAW people wearing buttons.

How much would you give to own an "I LIKE IKE" button?

The last time I heard anyone interested in buttons, was 1992. When a neighbor asked me to get her a PEROT button from the storefront they had on Colorado Blvd. In Pasadena.

Where did all the enthusiasm go?

It's as if we're having an election, and both candidates are so boring, no one is paying this contest much never-mind.

What is it about slamming Obama that sells so easily to the right?

Personally, I think Romney will sell less well than McCain.

Do you know what took George Romney out? (Back in 1968 ... when the nod went instead to Nixon. And, LBJ had to run away from trying to get a second term. George Romney came out and said he was brainwashed.) Romney, back then, lost everybody. Unhappy democraps hated the idea the republicans would choose a "brainwashed man."

What the GOP is good at covering up, though, are those internal fights.